As of April 16, weekly jobless claims were at 5.45 million for the week, which takes the total loss of jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic to 22 million, according to Labor Department figures. The current unemployment numbers are the highest on record.

The loss of 22 million jobs is roughly the number that has been added in the almost ten years since the Great Recession. All parts of the economy have been touched, from hospitality, hotels, manufacturing, retailing and white-collar industries. “There’s nowhere to hide,” Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton in Chicago told the New York Times. “This is the deepest, fastest, most broad-based recession we’ve ever seen.” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard predicts unemployment will hit 30% with continued closures.

President Trump has felt pressure to “re-open” the economy to ease unemployment, despite warnings from health officials. He said at an April 15 press briefing, “There has to be a balance. We have to get back to work.”

Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics, estimates the April jobless rate to be 15%-20%.“Nevertheless, we do still expect the unemployment rate to come down much more quickly than during a normal economic recovery, as temporary layoffs return to work once the lockdowns are lifted, so we still wouldn’t characterize this as a depression-type event,” he said.

Read more about protecting yourself from coronavirus. Check the CDC website for more information on how to protect yourself and check our latest article to learn how COVID-19 differs from the flu.

Scientists believe that the spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus, started at an exotic animal market in Wuhan, China. You can help stop the incidence of viruses like these by signing this petition to ban the wildlife trade.

This is a good time to reconsider our intake of animal products to stay healthy. Eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

Interested in joining the dairy-free and meatless train? We highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

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